A Dark History Amidst Rough Beauty

 

After our protest march, let's go back to Brittany - and part of this post will kind of pick up on my last post. You will make the connection.

Here we are on the Crozon peninsula, South of Brest. We first visited this circle of menhirs, the Alignements de Lagatjar. Just like all the other menhirs we had seen so far, they were close to the road, on open land. Most of them are aligned into three lines, but there are also some "solitary" ones.

There are about 60 to 70 stones still standing here and they are thought to date to 2,500 BC. No wonder there was a lot of lichen to be found on them.

The menhirs sit atop the Plage de Pen Hat which is surrounded by rather rough cliffs. This area is called Pen Hir.

The weather was pretty miserable, chilly and foggy and there was a constant drizzle. Nevertheless, we decided to walk along the cliffs for a bit. In good weather the view is said to be fantastic from here.

Very soon we came upon disturbing buildings that were telling of a very dark history.

These are fortifications originally built by the French navy in 1889. After the German invasion in 1940, the area was taken over by the German navy and in 1942 they started the construction of a gun battery to defend the Southern entrance to the U-boat base in Brest.

 These bunkers and batteries were part of the Atlantikwall (Atlantic Wall) - a massive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the European coastline from Norway to Spain. Its primary purpose was to deter an Allied invasion from the West, particularly from Great Britain. However, the Atlantikwall was never fully completed by the time the Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day) began in 1944.

The remains of the fortifications are open to the public and you can freely walk around here. Seeing these hideous bunkers made me extremely uncomfortable; I walked around with a big knot in my stomach. As a German who is aware of her native country's history this just makes me sick. The grey day reinforced these feelings. We were at this place a week before the US elections and I bet that the anxiety before that contributed to my uneasiness as well. (Since then, my uneasiness has grown a lot, but also my anger and frustration).

But even at this dire place some beauty could be found:

We continued walking along the rough path along the cliffs, up to the "cross" in the distance.

I noticed a lot of snails by the side of the trail.

Finally we had reached the "cross", the Monument to the Bretons of Free France. The inscription translates to

"To the Bretons of Free France - MCMXL-MCMXLV - France has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war. In the free world immense forces have not yet given up. One day these forces will crash the enemy."

Looking around, there was so much rough beauty.

And of course so close to the ocean there were gulls. They weren't shy at all. Does this sweet face count for Nicole's Friday Face Off?

That day we drove to Pont Aven, an idyllic town known for its artists colony, no doubt the most famous among them Paul Gauguin.

We stayed for the night in a beautiful little appartment and went to a crêperie for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. A good ending to a day of very mixed emotions.

Happy Days in Münster

 

When we left for Germany in the middle of October we were heading to Münster, the city where Kaefer now lives. She works at the University of Münster, one of the biggest universities in Germany. Münster is an independent city (Kreisfreie Stadt) in Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) close to the border with the Netherlands. It is considered to be the cultural center of Westphalia. It has a population of more than 300,000, more than 60,000 of them (university) students. The city is more than 1,200 years old.

The centerpiece of downtown definitely is the area of and around Prinzipalmarkt (principal marketplace), pictured in the photo above. The historic buildings were largely destroyed during the WWII bombings and reconstructed from 1947 to 1958, mostly true to the original. The buildings house shops and cafés and have picturesque pediments. Since it rains a lot in Münster, the archways are very useful.

Prinzipalmarkt looks especially beautiful at night.

At the Southern end of Prinzipalmarkt is the historical town hall (Rathaus) which houses the Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace) where the Westfälischer Frieden (Peace of Westphalia) was signed in October 1648. This ended the Thirty Years' War and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire. European history is incredible complicated and it would really break the mold of this blog if I would try to explain in detail what happened during those 30 years and how long it took to achieve this peace treaty. Especially since there are more historical events to come that took place in Münster. Wikipedia gives a good introduction to both the Thirty Years' War and the Peace of Westphalia if you're interested, but I have to warn you - it's confusing!

The next place at Prinzipalmarkt that we're going to visit (and which has fascinated me since I was a child) is Lambertikirche (St Lambert's Church). It's of late Gothic architecture and about in the center of Prinzipalmarkt.

It has a couple interesting things inside - one being the large hanging organ built by Karl Schuke in 1988. It feels very impressive when you stand right beneath it.

The second is the Himmelsleiter (Jacob's ladder), a light installation by Billie Thanner from 2022. It used to be exhibited on the tower of the church, but is now hanging above the baptismal fountain.

But the main historical importance of this church was something very different and more gruesome. Look carefully at this picture.

Have you noticed the three cages above the clock? In 1536 the corpses of three Wiedertäufer (Anabaptists), Jan van Leiden, Bernhard Krechting and Bernhard Knipperdolling, were exposed in these cages after they were publicly tortured and killed in Prinzipalmarkt for leading the Täuferreich von Münster (Münster Rebellion). In short, radical Anabaptists attempted to establish a communal sectarian government in Münster - a city and Bistum (diocese) that has always been and still is dominantly catholic. The city was under Anabaptist rule from February 1534 until June 1535. It's quite a gruesome "story" - again, Wikipedia gives a good overview of the rebellion. 

Let's have a break, shall we? What about some coffee and cake? Germany's afternoon coffee and cake (Kaffee und Kuchen) culture is not to be missed - and it's my ticket to Elizabeth's T Tuesday.

As I mentioned above, Münster is dominantly Catholic and since it is a diocese it also has a Dom, the St. Paulus Dom (Cathedral of St Paul). It is off Prinzipalmarkt and surrounded by a large square where every Saturday morning a huge farmers market takes place.

For a Catholic church the Dom was surprisingly plain and simple on the inside. I liked these windows.

Probably the most well-know bishop of Münster was Clemens August Graf von Galen, who during World War II led Catholic protests against Nazi euthanasia, denounced Gestapo lawlessness and the persecution of the Church in Nazi Germany. His sermons inspired some German Resistance groups, among them Die Weiße Rose, about whom I wrote here.

The Bistum of Münster was established in 805 as this manhole cover on the Domplatz (Cathedral Square) lets everybody know who cares to look.

Here you can see how close Dom and Lambertikirche are. They are just a few walking minutes apart from each other.

And a view of them from Café 1648 on the 11th floor.

Are you already tired of churches? One more - Überwasserkirche ("church beyond the water"), my favorite. It reminds me a little bit of English country churches.

It has a beautiful window and an interesting door.

Here it is reflected in a car window.

Münster also has many narrow alleys like almost all of the old German city centers. Here is an alley close to Überwasserkirche and the other near the Dom.

Maybe you have noticed the many bicycles in some of the photos. Münster is known as the bicycle capital of Germany. It is flat, perfect for riding a bike, and almost everywhere there are bike paths that keep bicycle riders safe from cars. Kaefer doesn't have a car and goes everywhere in Münster by bike, and if the weather is too ghastly she takes the bus. It is also well linked to the train network which enables her to get almost everywhere she wants to. But let's talk about that in a later post, because the Deutsche Bahn (German rail) is one of the things that Germans complain about the most (and I can't blame them for it).

And one more fun fact. Münster is the location for two German crime shows - "Wilsberg" and "Tatort". "Tatort" is one of the longest running crime shows in Germany and the title music and beginning hasn't changed since at least the 70s. It's not a "real" series per se since it is produced by different TV stations (depending on the Bundesland or state). I think each of the participating states (there are 16 in Germany) get at least 2 episodes a year - and one of them is Tatort Münster which I believe is one of the most popular ones. I certainly am a big fan.

One last picture of a church (in the rain) - I liked the round tower which is kind of unusual. 

Thank you for sticking to the end of this long post. I hope you all have a wunderbare week and if you're in the US, a lovely Thanksgiving.

Celebrating Independence

Today, on the 4th of July, we celebrate our country's independence from Britain, back in 1776. We have red, white and blue parties with family and friends, we barbecue and we have colorful and loud fireworks. It's a joyful holiday, a great day of celebration.

Sadly, some Americans seem to be unaware what we are celebrating.

photo by Robert Bartz

A couple days ago I saw a video in which random people on their way to the beach were interviewed about Independence Day. Some of the "highlights":

Question: Who did we gain our independence from?

Answers:
- I don't know.
- The South.  - At the end of the Civil War? - Yes, from the South.
- Those countries.
And my personal favorite:
- From California. (oh yeah, baby)

Question: Who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Answers:
- I don't know. Abraham Lincoln? - And when was that? - 1964? - 19... - 1984! (Perhaps it was George Orwell then....)

Question: Who were the Founding Fathers of our country?

- Silence.

Where the Declaration of Independence was written. Photo by Robert Bartz

While reading this, you probably cringe just as I did when I watched that video. And of course this is not representative for all Americans. But it made me wonder why I as an immigrant have to pass the citizenship test when I wish to become a US citizen. Perhaps natural born Americans should take that test as well.

Especially politicians. No, I am not elaborating on this. You certainly have made up your mind about that and so have I.

Gaining independence is a huge step for any country. For me, the most important part of independence is freedom. Let freedom ring - but so often I feel it's the freedom for one group, but not for the other. Freedom ends where it limits the freedom of others. That is a given. Freedom involves responsibility - a lot of it. Freedom without responsibility is not freedom for all, but just freedom for "Me". Freedom is something we have to work for every single day - by giving it to others and keeping it for ourselves.

Freedom is something wonderful that we so often take for granted. It is the greatest good in our country - and many others. Truly a reason to celebrate.

25 Years Ago the World Changed

source

It's been 25 years ago today that the Wall that divided my native country into West and East, into democracy and communism, came down. Peaceful, without a single shot. Unbelievable. A miracle.

Thinking of this day still makes me teary eyed. The emotions are still raw, after 25 years. This day will stay with me for the rest of my life.

source 

The days and weeks before let to the events of this day - it was already a very unique atmosphere in the entire country, but I don't think that anyone had really thought that the Wall, so hated by many, would indeed fall. We had always hoped for that. And then it suddenly happened.

source

Over the next few days a long long line of "Trabis" (Trabant, an East German car) with East German residents crossed the border into West Berlin at Checkpoint Charlie... a first in our history.

source

This was the beginning of the end - of the Wall, of this dreadful border, of a communist Germany in the East. The end of the DDR (GDR). The beginning of a unified Germany. And pictures like this one belong to the past.

However, we will never forget the victims of this ugly construction.

source

For the 25th anniversary a Lichtgrenze (lights border) was erected all through Berlin, following the original path of the Berlin Wall. They were released this evening - and the German-German border is gone.

source

On August 13th, 2011 - 50 years after the Berlin Wall was built - I had written about it here. Check it out if you're interested.